Customs Intercepts 1,500 Bullet Proof Jackets, Others Worth N3.6B in 1 Month, Arrests 4 Suspects

Customs Intercepts 1,500 Bullet Proof Jackets, Others Worth N3.6B in 1 Month, Arrests 4 Suspects

Comptroller Kola Oladeji, in charge of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, has announced the seizure of 1,500 pieces of bulletproof jackets; 989 kg of Indian Hemp (Cannabis Sativa); 5,229 cartons of expired drugs and other Contraband items worth N3, 636,594,600 within June 2024.

Comptroller Oladeji made this known to newsmen at the Unit’s headquarters on Thursday, 19 July 2024, in Ikeja.

According to him, “under Schedule four (4) of the Customs Common External Tariff (CET), the importation of all kinds of military wares by individuals is under absolute prohibition. An End-User Certificate (EUC) is required to import controlled items and products into Nigeria.

“An EUC is an undertaking by a purchaser/importer that any of the controlled items/products would be for lawful use within Nigeria and must not be transferred or re-exported to any other entity or country prior written consent of the issuing authority, which is the Office of the National Security Adviser,” Oladeji explained.

Other items seized within June include 343,750 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS); 7,150 bags of foreign parboiled rice at 50 kg each; 32 units of used motor vehicles; 120 bags of sugar at 50 kilograms each and 3,560 cartons of poultry products.

Comptroller Oladeji noted that 4 suspects were arrested for various offences, including violating import/export guidelines, concealment, wrong classification, smuggling, and contravening policy directives.

He condemned the criminal act and the damaging consequences to the security, health and economic well-being of the country.

“The intake of expired drugs can have serious health consequences on the kidneys and the liver, inclusive of the development of allergies and lowering of immunity.

“You may recall that some security and medical experts reported that people who take illicit drugs can lead to mental health cases and are most often motivated for the wrong reasons, where extreme motivations could lead to loss of conscience that aids the commission of crimes,” the unit head stated.

Furthermore, Comptroller Oladeji pointed out that the Unit recovered the sum of N62, 017,875.82 in revenue for June 2024 through meticulous documentary checks and the issuance of Demand Notices on consignments that were found to have paid lesser amounts than the appropriate Customs duties.

He called on patriotic citizens to provide valuable and timely information that would lead to the arrest of illegal importers of military wares, illicit drugs and counterfeit goods while also urging importers and licensed agents to make sincere declarations, adhere to existing import and export guidelines, and avoid the risk of losing their goods.